DIY led moonlight/actinic unit ;)

[ryeguy28]

ok well I dont really have much info but its pretty simple


price list
3x2x1" project box = 2.69$

4 white 5MM leds ( practice leds lol )= 3.99$

12V DC power supply for fan = FREE

3.6v DC powersupply for 5MM leds = FREE

still need shrink wrap and resistors ( evilc66 i need help on the size of resistors )


PICTURES !!!!!

the work bench ( messy hehe )





the fan ( please forgive me on the tape - i need shrink wrap lol )




the fan power supply ( from a old DVD player )




the project box




the best tool ever made



thats it for now more to come

[ryeguy28]

ohh the fan was free to

picked it off something else that was out of service

[Sir Patrick]

Whats the fan for? Are these moonlights, or can they be used as tank lights too?

Cant wait to see the whole thing put together!

[ryeguy28]

fan keeps the leds from getting to hot since there is no heatsink
there going to be moonlights but i dont realy seeing them having much effect on growth at all

[ryeguy28]

ok i got some more done today-but it cost me 3$ in leds lolz
got how im going to wire them out AND I found out i dont need the resistor YAY !!!!
but i still need my shrink-heat wrap stuff to make the wiring not so ugly lol( i promised id take it to the swap)

im ordering 50 blue leds from here - also going to pick up 50 white ones
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.9077

if all goes well i will get a bigger project box and make a fixture for a bigger tank and see how it works

well thats all for now

[evilc66]

Ok, first, you don't need the fan. Second, you need a resistor. I don't care what info you have found. If you want the LEDs to last a reasonable amount of time, you need a resistor in each series string. The resistor size will depend on the LEDs used. For your initial 4 LED test, run without. But for the new blue LEDs that are coming, run 3 LEDs in series with a 100 ohm resistor.

[ryeguy28]

ok
i know the fan isnt really needed but it looks cool lol

so should i run 3 leds only ? or run 2 series of 3 leds ?

[evilc66]

You shouldn't need many if you are using them for moonlights. If you want more actinic, turn your blue LEDs up a bit.

[ryeguy28]

deli didnt make them that way its all on one buck puck

i wish i didnt buy them from him ( they suck )

[evilc66]

Define suck? It's a good setup with plenty of light. If you are moaning that you can't adjust the blues seperately, then modify the setup with another driver and rewire it. Another $20 and a little time is far cheaper than buying a different light. If you are looking to add those dinky little 5mm LEDs to add more blue to the tank, they won't do much. They will be fine for moonlights.